In this episode of pplpod, we dive into the extraordinary life of Frances Perkins, a pioneering American workers' rights advocate who shattered the ultimate glass ceiling to become the first woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet. Appointed as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, Perkins held the position for an unprecedented twelve years.

We explore her early years as a social worker and consumer advocate in New York City, and discuss how witnessing the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 profoundly altered her path, igniting a lifelong crusade for workplace safety and fair labor laws.

Listeners will discover how Perkins earned the title of the "central architect of the New Deal".  ...